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The Cel Shaded Report, 5/17: Rock the cosplay or comic vote

Jason S. Yadao — Fri, 17 May 2013 19:22:12 +0000

Ahhh, Anime Expo. Largest anime convention in the U.S., usually held Fourth of July weekend in Los Angeles, tons of people lining up for everything, enough that I'll probably never go to it (Fanime's probably the largest show I'll ever willingly visit, thankyewverymuch ... and after last year's experience, even that is a bit iffy now).

This year is AX's 22nd year, and along with the usual pre-con activities -- guest announcements! Room expansions! Preregistration deals! -- they're currently hosting a cosplay photography contest on their Facebook page. The winner will receive $250 and a badge for AX 2014 and have their photo reprinted in the AX 2013 program guide, while the top 15 photos will be on display at this year's convention.

Normally this wouldn't be of much interest save for the hardest of hard-core AX devotees, but there's a local angle to this contest: The fourth picture in the gallery was taken at Kawaii Kon, with a bunch of local cosplayers, in the Hawai'i Convention Center parking garage. Here's the picture and the listed description:

Photographer’s Name: Chris Kwock
Photo Title: Wolf Pack
Cosplay Model’s Name: Kim Mazyck, Jon Minami, Shaughnessy Birgado, Gina Maeda-Caluya, Anthony Ragil, Jolene Kanesaki
Character and series: Bertha, Beltway, Spectre, Lupo, Vector, Four Eyes / Resident Evil

As of Thursday night, when I was writing this post, Team Wolf Pack was running in 11th place with 251 votes -- 15 behind Kirito & Silica from Sword Art Online in 10th, 24 ahead of the Onceler from The Lorax. Now, I freely admit that this blog can't muster up enough votes to push Team Wolf Pack into the top spot, with this Diablo 3 Demon Hunter already at 1,241 votes. We have only a few dozen loyal readers, plus I've had experience pushing for something in the past, only to have it fall way, way, way, way, waaaaaaaay short of its goal. But if this post can help nudge our local cosplayers up a space, I've done my job.

To vote, just go to the contest page on Facebook -- I've direct-linked the photo above to their page, or you can click here -- and "like" it. You have until May 22 to vote, so have at it.

Meanwhile, over in the world of kids' comics, Audra Furuichi's nemu*nemu is up for a pair of awards in the 2013 Kids Comic Revolution comic awards: "Favorite Webcomic" and "Special Award for Excellence in Drawing Delicious-Looking Food" (the latter for the Phantom Ice Cream Truck strip in February 2012). Babymouse and Squish artist Matthew Holm -- in town a few months ago as a guest at McCully-Moiliili Library -- is also up for a few awards, including "Favorite Graphic Novel" (for Squish volume 4), "Favorite Cartoonist/Author" (with his sister Jennifer) and "Cutest Comic Character" (Babymouse).

Now, I would say to go out and vote for Audra and Matt just as I voted for them, but there's just one small problem: I'm not a kid. Perhaps my mental age is such, what with all these anime and manga and video games and other firmly-young-adult material surrounding me at the moment, but physically, I haven't been a kid in years. And that's the thing: The Kids Comic Revolution awards can only be voted on by kids. And I'm not sure if anyone regularly reading this blog -- save, perhaps, the librarian faction -- has access to anyone in that valuable voter demographic. But if you do know any kids, send them over to mlatcomics.com/krc/kcrawards13 to vote. You can also find a PDF version of the ballot there, which you can fill out and mail in; details on where to send it are available on the site.

Poppy Hill: The saga continues

Yup, From Up on Poppy Hill is still here, screening for a sixth week at the Kahala 8 theaters and a second at the Koolau Stadium 10. The question is whether you'll be able to see it in Japanese; your friendly neighborhood anime/manga blogger tried on Wednesday, visiting both the Koolau theaters and the Laie Palms Cinemas, and the net result is that he has now seen it four times in English. It's probably a good thing that Anime News Network reported on Thursday that Amazon has listings for DVD and Blu-ray/DVD combo packs from Cinedigm, the home video branch of Poppy Hill distributor GKids. (Main takeaways: Release date is Sept. 3; retail price is $29.95 for the DVD, $34.95 for the combo pack, but you can save 30 percent by preordering now; and if you're a Blu-ray guy or gal, while you're at it, why not throw in orders for Howl's Moving Castle and My Neighbor Totoro, out on Tuesday.)

On the bright side, watching it that many times, one starts noticing certain subtle things about the movie. More details on that after the weekend.

Fandango showtimes!

Kahala
Friday-Saturday: 11:45 a.m.
Sunday: 12:30 p.m.
Monday-Wednesday: Noon

Koolau Stadium 10
Friday-Wednesday: 11:05 a.m. and 1:05 and 3:20 p.m.

And as always, you can buy your tickets in advance here.

Ota-cool incoming!

Comic Jam Hawaii: This group of collaborative cartoon artists meets every first and third Sunday of the month at Pearlridge Center; locations within the mall may vary. Visit www.facebook.com/groups/ComicJamHawaii (Facebook login required). Next meeting: 1 to 4 p.m. Sunday.

Anime Manga Society at UH-Manoa: Meetings during Summer Session 1 are every Friday starting May 24 through June 28. in Kuykendall Hall, room 306. Screenings TBA. 5:30 to 7 p.m.

Tomo-E-Ame: Friends-Drawings-Candy: We're now in the submissions period for MangaBento's 2013 exhibit at the Honolulu Museum of Art School, with 2-D piece that are 11 inches by 17 inches or smaller now being accepted during MangaBento meetings. Larger 2-D pieces and art in other media will be accepted on June 9 in the art school's mezzanine gallery. As for the exhibit itself? That's June 16-July 14.

Summer Reading Program at public libraries: Register. Read books. Win prizes. Yay! I'm pretty sure more details will emerge about special programs at the various branches in coming days, but if I may just offer this initial thought: McCully-Moiliili branch manager Hillary Chang's already claimed the prize for coolest regular Summer Reading Program incentive EVER. LOOK AT THESE:

Five nemu*nemu pins. Exclusive designs. Exclusively at McCully-Moiliili. Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaant. General program runs June 2-July 6, with registration beginning May 28; check your local library for exact dates.

Future attractions

Taku Taku Matsuri: A summer festival with an anime/manga slant at Hawaii Kotohira Jinsha-Hawaii Dazaifu Tenmangu. Aug. 25.

Oni-Con Hawaii: With guest Yuko Ashizawa, a fashion designer with Atelier Pierrot. Also featuring the Cosplay Chess Brigade and Yu x Me Maid Cafe & Host Club. Preregistration open now; $35 for a three-day pass. Artist Alley applications also being accepted (it's $110 per table, which includes two three-day passes). Hawai'i Convention Center, Nov. 1-3.

Kawaii Kon 2014: Guests include voice actors Michael Sinterniklaas and Stephanie Sheh. Preregistration open now; $37 for a three-day pass for children ages 5-12, $42 general admission. Hawai'i Convention Center, April 4-6, 2014.

Even MORE on 'Poppy Hill': The unexpected venue

Jason S. Yadao — Sat, 11 May 2013 07:00:30 +0000

I thought I was done talking about From Up on Poppy Hill at least until next week's Cel Shaded Report ... that is, until fate and one of my few dozen loyal readers intervened, sending along a tidbit that I couldn't possibly hold on to until next week.

This tweet came in from T.N., aka @ArcturusFlyer, Friday afternoon:

@jsyadao Don't know if you've heard, but Poppy Hill is apparently being shown at the theater in Laie. twitter.com/ArcturusFlyer/…

— T. N. (@ArcturusFlyer) May 11, 2013

Here's the website of the Laie Palms Cinemas. I know I've been working in news for close to 12 years now, but I completely missed the story about how this two-screen complex stayed in business after the last owner that I remembered for 'em, Wallace Theaters, left the island. But indeed, Don and Alice Nielsen took over in 2009, spruced up the place, started screening mostly G, PG and a few PG-13 movies, and they've managed to make a go of it ever since.

And now they're screening Poppy Hill. Go fig. How cool is that?

So if you're looking for a nighttime Poppy Hill screening -- and don't mind driving all the way out to Laie to do so and buying your tickets there, because you certainly aren't going to find them on Fandango -- it looks like the perfect opportunity has arrived. Looks like it'll be there until Wednesday; here's the schedule:

Saturday: 3:45, 6:45 and 9:45 p.m.
Sunday: Closed (being Laie, it's to be expected; the whole town shuts down on Sundays, given its close proximity and ties to the Mormon Church there)
Monday-Wednesday: 6:45 and 9:45 p.m.

And, of course, it's still screening at the Kahala 8 and Koolau Stadium 10 theaters. But you already knew that.

The Cel Shaded Report, 5/10: 'Poppy Hill.' Again. Yup.

Jason S. Yadao — Fri, 10 May 2013 07:03:48 +0000

From Up on Poppy Hill -- the film that, if you don't know it's the latest Studio Ghibli film to reach U.S. shores by now, you clearly haven't been reading this blog -- opened on April 5 at the Consolidated's Kahala 8 theater complex. Two other movies opened their nationwide runs on that day: the Evil Dead remake and the Jurassic Park 3-D-make.

Here we are, five weeks later. Evil Dead was apparently bad enough that it's already gone from theaters. (You know it's bad when two films that debuted before it, G.I. Joe: Retaliation and The Croods, are still being screened around town.) Jurassic Park was designed for a brief theatrical run before popping up on 3-D Blu-ray. And Poppy Hill? Despite all my prior predictions that it would be leaving soon, it's still there, with Umi's flags wishing passing boats a pleasant journey flapping for at least one screening daily.

So now that we've established that I'm more psycho than psychic, I've concluded that if I don't make any more predictions on whether Poppy Hill will stay or go, maybe it'll just quietly walk away on its own. Not that we want it to leave, of course, but seeing as it's already pretty much defied all my expectations on its longevity at Kahala, I'm willing at this stage to just let it do whatever it wants.

Oh yes, and good news for those of you who missed out on the Japanese-with-English subtitles version of Poppy Hill (as your friendly neighborhood anime/manga blogger sadly raises his hand, as that's the main reason why there still isn't a review up of that movie yet, *sob*): You have another chance, as Consolidated's Koolau Stadium 10 theaters in Kaneohe -- that's at the Temple Valley Shopping Center at 47-260 Hui Iwa St. -- will be screening that version over the next week. Better get down there quickly to watch it, though, because Star Trek Into Darkness opens next week. And as Iron Man 3 proved last week, theaters kinda like making money over screening niche anime. Just sayin'.

Fandango showtime time!

Kahala
Friday-Sunday: 10:40 a.m.
Monday through Wednesday: 11:45 a.m.

Koolau Stadium 10
Friday-Wednesday: 12:15, 2:30 and 4:45 p.m.

And as always, you can buy your tickets in advance here.

Ota-cool incoming!

We've hit a bit of a pre-summer lull as far as events for the otaku community are concerned. But that's okay ... more time to watch anime and read manga, right?

Future attractions

Tomo-E-Ame: Friends-Drawings-Candy: MangaBento's 2013 exhibit at the Honolulu Museum of Art School, June 16-July 14.

Taku Taku Matsuri: A summer festival with an anime/manga slant at Hawaii Kotohira Jinsha-Hawaii Dazaifu Tenmangu. Aug. 25.

The Cel Shaded Report, 5/2: Comics comics comics COMICS!

Jason S. Yadao — Thu, 02 May 2013 16:10:18 +0000

Iron Man 3 opens on Friday.

Star Wars Day -- "May the Fourth be with you," get it? -- is on Saturday.

And comic book geekery, let's face it, can just be downright fun.

So it is that we've come to the annual celebration of comics, downright fun and WOO HOO FREE STUFF known as Free Comic Book Day, happening on Saturday. It's one of those days when even comic creators can be fans. Why, here's team nemu*nemu, Audra Furuichi and Scott Yoshinaga, with McCully-Moiliili librarian Linnel Yamashita from FCBD 2012.

Of course there will be regular comics -- you can scan the full list of possible giveaways (keeping in mind that not everywhere will have the full range of comics) here. Here's a picture that Aiea Library young adult librarian Diane Masaki sent along of some of the comics that she received to distribute to the various libraries (more on that in a bit).

But as the anime/manga blog of record in the Star-Advertiser blogosphere, I'd be remiss if I didn't show you Viz's manga contribution to the comic party: samplers from Dragon Ball (that's the original series, showing Goku as a young boy) and Rurouni Kenshin: Restoration (Nobuhiro Watsuki's remixed take on his samurai series, currently being serialized in Weekly Shonen Jump USA).

So where can you go to get your comics? Several comic book stores are participating:

Collector Maniacs, 3571 Waialae Ave., ste. 102A (Kaimuki)
Gecko Books, 1151 12th Ave. (Kaimuki)
Other Realms, Ward Warehouse, 1050 Ala Moana Blvd.
Jelly's, 98-023 Hekaha St. (Aiea) and 670 Auahi St. (Kakaako)

If you visit any of these stores, don't forget to throw some money at them and buy something in appreciation, too -- supporting local small businesses is always a good thing.

Also participating will be 16 libraries, spread out across four islands -- 10 on Oahu, three on Maui, two on Hawaii island, and one on Kauai. Not only will there be free comics available, there also will be various cosplayers from the Pacific Outpost of the 501st Legion, Rebel Legion of Hawaii and the Costumers Guild of Hawaii at some branches. You can expect anyone from Stormtroopers to Homestuck characters to superheroes to Resident Evil STARS Rebecca Chambers and Jill Valentine to show up. The appearances were coordinated by Diane, who also said, and I quote, "Don't forget to bring your camera!" (Yes, that quote was in a press release I was handed. Yes, I actually asked her to repeat that line for me, verbatim, so I could include it in here. I'm just all about journalistic integrity like that.)

I've learned some rudimentary HTML coding and cobbled together a handy table with the participating libraries, addresses and phone numbers, and whether they'll have special cosplayer appearances. (Times are subject to change.)

	Address	Phone number	Cosplayers?
Aiea	99-143 Moanalua Road	483-7333	Yes (10 a.m. and mid-afternoon)
Aina Haina	5246 Kalanianaole Highway	377-2456	Yes (2 p.m.)
Hawaii Kai	249 Lunalilo Home Road	397-5833	--
Kailua	239 Kuulei Road	266-9911	Yes (noon)
Kalihi-Palama	1325 Kalihi St.	832-3466	--
Kapolei	1020 Manawai St.	693-7050	Yes (10 a.m.)
Liliha	1515 Liliha St.	587-7577	Yes (10 a.m.)
McCully-Moiliili	2211 S. King St.	973-1099	***
Mililani	95-450 Makaimoimo St.	627-7470	Yes (2 p.m.)
Waimanalo	41-1320 Kalanianaole Highway	259-2610	Yes (10 a.m.)

NEIGHBOR ISLANDS
Hilo (Hawaii)	300 Waianuenue Ave.	933-8888	--
Kihei (Maui)	35 Waimahaihai St.	875-6833	--
Lahaina (Maui)	680 Wharf St.	662-3950	Yes (11 a.m.)
Makawao (Maui)	1159 Makawao Ave.	573-8785	Yes (11 a.m.)
Princeville (Kauai)	4343 Emmalani Dr.	826-4310	--
Thelma Parker (Waimea, Hawaii)	67-1209 Mamalahoa Highway	887-6067	--

And then there's McCully-Moiliili, where there's a series of three asterisks instead of a regular dash in its row because branch manager Hillary Chang has a whole program planned to go along with the free swagfest. At 10:30 a.m., cartoonist Ray Friesen will talk about Pirate Penguin vs. Ninja Chicken, an all-ages graphic novel series that's actually one of the series featured in Top Shelf Comix's Top Shelf Kids Club anthology being given out during FCBD 2013.

Between 11 a.m. and 1 p.m., local anime/manga-inspired art group Pen & Ink Works will be hosting a sketch meet, demonstrations and games. Drawing supplies will be provided; just bring enthusiasm and a creative spirit. And since members Brady Evans, Tara Tamayori and Rose Dela Cruz also happen to be three-quarters of the creative team behind local manga anthology Hachi Maru Hachi, they'll be joining writer Jordan Takemoto and talking about the process of putting the latest issue together.

Show them a manga page you've drawn -- whether at the sketch meet or elsewhere -- and you can get a postcard with some official Hachi Maru Hachi art, too. Here's an idea of what they look like.

I'll update this post if there's any more news of FCBD events or online giveaways, but for more on the day itself, visit www.freecomicbookday.com. And don't forget: Be polite and stay within whatever limits each venue sets for the number of comics you can snag for free. No one likes a greedy person getting in the way.

Update 5/3, 2:40 p.m.: Freebie added to the Aiea Library festivities: Trading card packs, featuring art by some of the Comic Jam Hawaii artists.

Update 5/3, 6:30 p.m.: Lime Media Hawaii is offering free digital copies of Hawaii Star Manga Project issue #5. Visit www.limemediahawaii.com. Also, don't forget to bring your library card if you're visiting the libraries for your free comics.

Update 5/4, 7:15 a.m.: Over at The Beat, Heidi MacDonald has previews and recommendations for every single FCBD book available today. It's a great guide to take on the go if you have the technological means to do so! Part 1 covers Gold sponsor books, while part 2 and part 3 cover Silver sponsors.

Also through May 5, Nao Yazawa -- the manga artist whose series include Wedding Peach and Moon & Blood -- is offering her 77-page autobiographical manga, Go Go Nao-P!, for free on Kindle devices. (After that, it'll cost $2.99.) According to Anime News Network, Yazawa has said the English version seems to be working only on Fire and Paperwhite models at the moment; I've tested it through the Kindle app on my iPad, and it works fine. It's a collection of 4-koma manga that she first published on her blog starting in 2010. She even translated it to English herself, so while the sentences are a bit stilted, it's still an impressive feat.

The last days of Poppy Hill (no, really this time)

I'd have to imagine that with the English dubbed version of Studio Ghibli's From Up on Poppy Hill entering its fifth week at the Kahala 8 theaters, these are the final days for this film's run in Hawaii. Then again, I said that in last week's Cel Shaded Report, and we all know how that prediction fared. It's a bit more cut-and-dry for the Japanese audio/English subtitled version that quietly landed at the Pearlridge West 16 theaters, though. You have six more chances to see it -- three today, three more over the weekend -- because that version is being nudged out after Sunday. (Looking at the schedule, I think it's to free up an auditorium for another set of Iron Man 3 screenings on weekdays.) (Update 5/3, 2:40 p.m.: It's already gone in favor of more Iron Man 3 screenings. Sadness.) Such is life, though, and I certainly applaud Consolidated for bringing in the subbed reel in the first place.

Here are your showtimes, via Fandango. Tickets can be purchased in advance here.

Kahala
Friday and Saturday: Noon and 2:10 p.m.
Sunday: 2:10 p.m.
Monday through Thursday: Noon and 2:10 p.m.

Pearlridge
Friday through Sunday: 10:30 a.m.

Ota-cool incoming!

Anime Manga Society at UH-Manoa: Meets every Thursday and Friday in Kuykendall Hall, room 305. Catch Cyborg 009, Kuroko no Basket and Hanasaku Iroha on Thursdays, or Magi, Psycho Pass and Toriko on Fridays. Social time/announcements 4:30 p.m.: screenings 5 to 7 p.m.

Future attractions

Maui Matsuri: Annual Japanese festival held on the University of Hawaii-Maui College campus. May 11.

Tomo-E-Ame: Friends-Drawings-Candy: MangaBento's 2013 exhibit at the Honolulu Museum of Art School, June 16-July 14.

Taku Taku Matsuri: A summer festival with an anime/manga slant at Hawaii Kotohira Jinsha-Hawaii Dazaifu Tenmangu. Aug. 25.

'Poppy Hill' pops up at Pearlridge

Jason S. Yadao — Sun, 28 Apr 2013 04:40:21 +0000

So. Remember my last post, where I speculated that From Up on Poppy Hill was winding down its run at the Kahala 8 theaters? Thanks to the sharp eyes of tag-team partner in fandom Wilma J., who was scanning through her Facebook news feed today, we've since learned that the film's actually expanded its local reach, adding a second screen in the Pearlridge West 16 theater complex. This may come in handy for some of you for whom the drive to Kahala may be a bit too much of a grind (*waves at frequent commenter Animatsuri*).

Via Fandango, here are your Pearlridge showtimes from Sunday through Thursday:

Sunday: 10:50 a.m. and 1, 3:10 and 5:20 p.m.
Monday through Thursday: Noon, 2:10 and 4:20 p.m.

And here's your online ticket link.

One other note that may make people's ears perk up a bit: Wilma's friend noted that the film was in Japanese, presumably with English subtitles. Take this as an unconfirmed rumor for now; we're not sure if all of these screenings offer what's arguably been the top wish of everyone I've talked to who's already seen it ("Yeah, it was good, buuuuut … I really wish I could've heard the original soundtrack …"). Wilma may be going on Sunday to check it out for herself, so if there are any updates, we'll be sure to let you know.

Update, 9:55 p.m.: Japanese subbed version confirmed! Thanks, Jeff!

The Cel Shaded Report, 4/26: Shirt tales

Jason S. Yadao — Fri, 26 Apr 2013 18:29:06 +0000

One of the things I was sadly negligent in talking about in this space in the past few weeks was the nemu*nemu custom Gelaskins order that Kimonokitsy Studios -- artist Audra Furuichi and husband Scott Yoshinaga -- was running. I actually bought a few -- some for technology I don't even have yet, but which I'm planning to buy in the next few weeks! -- and threw one of 'em on when it arrived earlier this week, and then ... well, if you saw what happened over on Facebook when the nemu*nemu plushie foursome arrived at the office, you can kinda guess what happened next.

Yes, Anpan and Nemu got their paws on a Gelaskinned Nintendo DSi XL.

And yes, that's the camera app that they're playing with. Here's the proof from their perspective.

... and yes, I am such a dork for taking the time to take pictures like this. But that's okay. My inner child and I have been BFFs for ... well, pretty much my entire otaku journalism career.

The reason I bring up this story is because Audra and Scott are gathering orders for another custom print job -- not Gelaskins this time, but Spreadshirt T-shirts. That design above, their "7th Anniversary" style? That's the newest design to be added to a stack that also includes King of Pizza Anpan, Danish Donut King Nemu and Galaxy Explorer Enchilada. Those join several other online-exclusive designs in a variety of colors, in styles for men, women, children and toddlers. So you definitely have options.

Group orders will be accepted through May 3; visit ow.ly/ksUwn for details on how to order. In case you're reading this post after May 3, you can order directly at nemunemu.spreadshirt.com.

The last days of 'Poppy Hill'

I've been talking about From Up on Poppy Hill for several weeks now, encouraging people to go out and see it before, well, they can't, considering the only legitimate home video option for the film to date is a Region 2 DVD with English subtitles, currently selling for about $47 on CDJapan. (Then again, considering how much Aniplex USA wants $89.98 for the Madoka Magica movies on Blu-ray at Right Stuf and Namco Bandai wants $54.99 for each one of three Idolm@ster games on iOS, perhaps that's a relative bargain.)

We're heading into week 4 of Poppy Hill screenings at the Kahala 8 theaters, and given the sharp cutback in the number of screenings, I feel fairly confident in saying that these will probably be your last chances of seeing this movie for a while. There are only 14 screenings over the week -- less than half the number we saw these past three weeks -- and if you were hoping to catch it at night, it looks like you've missed that opportunity.

Courtesy of Fandango, here are the showtimes:

Today and Saturday: 10:30 a.m. and 12:40 p.m.
Sunday: 12:40 p.m.
Monday through Thursday: 12:30 a.m. and 2:40 p.m.

As usual, here's your online ticket link. I'm running a bit short on time in writing this post, so my full reflections on Poppy Hill and where it stands in the grand Ghibli canon are going to have to wait a few days. They are coming soon, though! (I hope, anyway. If office workloads are favorable. Fingers crossed.)

Ota-cool incoming!

Monster Drawing Workshop: April has been the month to learn how to design your own manga characters (courtesy of Hachi Maru Hachi artist Tara Tamayori) and how to add manga faces to them (courtesy of MangaBento). To put a neat little bow on things, perhaps you'd like to learn how to create your own monsters to harass your manga creations (or befriend them, because hey, it's your story)? Comic Jam Hawaii has you covered in this free workshop at Aiea Library. Paper, pencils and crayons will be provided, or bring your own art supplies if you wish. Recommended for ages 8 and older. 1 to 3:30 p.m. Saturday.

Free Comic Book Day: The name pretty much says it all. Full details coming in next week's Cel Shaded Report, but for now, let's just say that there will be costumed characters aplenty, possibly at a library near you. May 4.

Future attractions

Maui Matsuri: Annual Japanese festival held on the University of Hawaii-Maui College campus. May 11.

Tomo-E-Ame: Friends-Drawings-Candy: MangaBento's 2013 exhibit at the Honolulu Museum of Art School, June 16-July 14.

Taku Taku Matsuri: A summer festival with an anime/manga slant at Hawaii Kotohira Jinsha-Hawaii Dazaifu Tenmangu. Aug. 25.

Kawaii Kon 2014: Guests include voice actors Michael Sinterniklaas and Stephanie Sheh. Preregistration opens Wednesday. Hawai'i Convention Center, April 4-6, 2014.

The Cel Shaded Report, 4/19: 'Sparrow's Hotel,' the review

Jason S. Yadao — Fri, 19 Apr 2013 07:26:36 +0000

Kawaii Kon 2013 was only a handful of hours old on March 15 when Keith Kawamura, Crunchyroll senior brand manager, gave con-goers a world-exclusive announcement: Sparrow's Hotel would be making its way to the streaming anime site. You may recall that I posted this picture from that particular event.

Fast forward a month and a few days, and the first two episodes of Sparrow's Hotel have, indeed, been posted. Second episode just went up for premium subscribers around the middle of this week, in fact. (By the way, I've had a few guest passes for 48-hour premium membership trials sitting around in my account for a little while now, so ... here, here and here. Let other people know in comments if you take one. Thanks.)

So how much of a significant announcement did this turn out being? I felt like there needed to be some sort of payoff, so I sat through those first two episodes ... and presented here, for your convenience, is the in-depth review that I feel this series deserves.

Today’s profile: Sparrow's Hotel, episodes 1-2
Recommended age: Older teen 16+
Availability: Currently streaming on crunchyroll.com

Sparrow's Hotel is quick and pointless.***

'Poppy Hill' extended a week (again)

Fandango's weekly update came a few days later than the past two weeks -- Thursday instead of Tuesday -- but for those of you who still haven't made it out to see From Up on Poppy Hill, the newest Studio Ghibli film localized for the U.S., there's now a third week's worth of screenings at the Kahala 8 theaters. Come to think of it, it's a great opportunity to double-dip and see this movie again, especially considering there has yet to be any announcement of a U.S. home video release. There are a few minor adjustments in screening times, but the number of screenings between today and next Thursday remains the same, at 33. Tickets are available online via Fandango. Screenings:

Today and Saturday: 10:50 a.m. and 12:55, 3, 5:05, 7:10 and 9:20 p.m.
Sunday: 10:50 a.m. and 12:55, 3, 5:05, and 7:10 p.m.
Monday through Thursday: 11:30 a.m. and 2, 4:20 and 7:10 p.m.

Ota-cool incoming!

Future attractions

Free Comic Book Day: The name pretty much says it all. Of course, there will probably be other things going on as well. May 4.

Maui Matsuri: Annual Japanese festival held on the University of Hawaii-Maui College campus. May 11.

Tomo-E-Ame: Friends-Drawings-Candy: MangaBento's 2013 exhibit at the Honolulu Museum of Art School, June 16-July 14.

Taku Taku Matsuri: A summer festival with an anime/manga slant at Hawaii Kotohira Jinsha-Hawaii Dazaifu Tenmangu. Aug. 25.

Kawaii Kon 2014: Guests include voice actors Michael Sinterniklaas and Stephanie Sheh. Preregistration opens May 1. Hawai'i Convention Center, April 4-6, 2014.

==========

***OK, so some of you may want a few more details about Sparrow's Hotel -- you've made it this far, past the Poppy Hill schedule and the "Ota-cool Incoming!" calendar, after all -- so here's the deal: Sparrow's Hotel is adapted from a 4-koma (four-panel comic strip style) manga by Yuka Santoh. That manga hasn't been translated into English, and, if this anime is any indication, there's probably a good reason why it hasn't been translated: It's a one-trick pony based around the fact that the hotel's newest hire, Sayuri Sato, is a gal with an ample chest who can charm guys, then beat them into submission.

There are good ways and bad ways of adapting 4-koma manga into anime series. Azumanga Daioh, Adventures of the Mini-Goddess, Lucky Star and Hetalia are some of the better ones. Poyopoyo seems like a good adaptation, too, even though I haven't seen any official translations of the manga. This series, though, has no real story flow between what's obviously a group of adapted comic strips. It's opening credits, setup, gag, setup, gag, setup, gag, repeat, end. Over here, she's instantly breaking up a fight among drunken guys. Over there, she's pulling out a keychain nestled somewhere in that ample chest of hers. People marvel about it in awe or in fear. Woo hoo.

There are some other characters besides Sayuri -- her female manager, the manager's brother, another guy voiced by past Kawaii Kon guest Daisuke Kishio -- but who really cares? They're just around to set up another gag that probably involves some combination of ample chestiness and submission beating.

Oh yes, one other thing: In the time it's taken for you to read through this entire post, you probably could have watched both episodes. They're only three minutes long, after all, 2-1/2 minutes of actual content when you factor out the opening credits. And still I want those six minutes of my life back.

A 'Journey' worth remembering

Wilma Jandoc — Sun, 14 Apr 2013 06:38:29 +0000

Today’s profile: Journey of Heroes
Author: Stacey Hayashi
Illustrator: Damon Wong
Publisher: Self-published
Availability: In print & readily available at www.442comicbook.com and various retailers (refer to this list posted on Facebook)

If you grew up in Hawaii, chances are about 100% that one of things imprinted upon you in school is the bombing of Pearl Harbor and the subsequent internment of Japanese-Americans following the attack. And naturally, one of the things you also hear in conjunction with that is about the 100th Battalion and the 442nd Infantry Regiment; how they were composed of all nisei (second-generation Japanese), many of whom were from Hawaii; and how they are among the most decorated units for their size and length of service.

But something that's not often taught in schools -- at least, not in my memory, and I will say that I've been out of high school for many years now -- is what happened in the time between the Pearl Harbor attack and the creation of the 100th/442nd Regimental Combat Team and the days leading up to their entrance into actual combat. It's usually only around the anniversary of "the day that will live in infamy," Dec. 7, when we hold gatherings around the state to honor those who sacrificed themselves, that we hear the tales from the few remaining survivors about the horrors they experienced in the war. And even then, the stories can be few, with many veterans often reluctant to speak of those times.

The slim graphic novel "Journey of Heroes," written by Stacey T. Hayashi and illustrated by Damon Wong, attempts to fill in that gap. And a fine endeavor it is. (It also made me finally understand why the unit is called the "100th/442nd.")

According to a note from the author, Hayashi wanted to tell the story about the nisei units, so she met with hundreds of veterans and gathered their reminiscences with the intent of making them into a movie. Unfortunately, the difficulties of producing a film stood in the way of that project. Fortunately, this 30-page book grew out of it instead.

"Journey of Heroes" is told in the first person from the perspective of an unnamed nisei soldier. (The stories, however, are based on the experiences of veteran Goro Sumida, a dear friend of Hayashi's who died last October.) It starts off in November 1944 just after the famous Vosges assault in which the 100th/442nd had been ordered to rescue a Texas unit that had become trapped behind enemy lines -- the so-called "Lost Battalion." The nisei units managed to save the Texans after several days of fighting, suffering heavy casualties in the process. And as the remaining men are standing at attention waiting to be recognized for their bravery, the narrator describes what happened up until that point and what will happen in years beyond, switching seamlessly from past to present to future while maintaining a "flashback" mode. It sounds strange as described here, but the device works well.

It's "only" 30 pages, which sounds awfully short for a graphic novel. And in one way it is, but in another way, it's interminably long as you read through the history of the 100th and 442nd, the details that most people don't often get the chance to hear about, of the pain and humiliation and struggle and the differences -- even with each other -- that they had to overcome.

Damon uses the "chibi" -- Japanese for "small," with the connotation of "cute" -- drawing style, one that's often used in Japanese manga. I initially had qualms about it, wondering how such an approach could effectively portray the grueling intensity of war, racism and more. However, I found that the "cuteness" of the people doesn't detract from the emotion that the simply worded narration evokes. Even the use of pidgin English is well placed, serving to show the contrast between the carefree island days and the grimness of war. Married with this are realistic, stylized backgrounds and elements taken straight from history, such as the well-known photograph of the sinking of the USS Arizona; the famous front page of the extra edition of the Honolulu Star-Bulletin declaring war on Dec. 7, 1941; the gates to 'Iolani Palace as the nisei soldiers are given a huge farewell send-off; and even smaller features such as flags, office windows and bunk beds. It all contributes to a tremendous reading experience, and I must admit I didn't expect to be moved as I much as I was when I read the book.

Even now, after having read "Journey of Heroes" multiple times, I still choke up as I can only try to imagine the hell it was. It is intense and emotional in a rather simple way, which easily reaches out and touches the reader. We can't help but share in their pain and feel great respect for the men who came out of it all and did not let the war and racism break them as they continued on with their lives.

About half of the book is devoted to the soldiers' battles and the Vosges assault, but what made the most impression on me is the recounting of the time before their deployment to the war zone in Italy. This is the part of their story that we never hear about and that contributes even more to our admiration for them. We are finally taken behind the scenes, beyond the well-publicized heroism, and we see what they went through to even get to the point at which they went to war. We read about the family struggles, about the deep-seated prejudice that went both ways, forcing some Japanese-Americans on the mainland to sneak out so they could start their military careers, sometimes against their loved ones' wishes. We see the culture clashes when the Hawaii men meet up with mainlanders, the tension and conflicts within the units caused by different upbringings. We watch as the Hawaii and mainland soldiers are finally made to realize that it doesn't matter where they come from -- they are all Americans, they are all fighting the same war, and the enemy is not each other.

One thing that stood out at me in the entire manga was something so tiny it was easy to overlook. When discussing the values that Japanese held, the concept of "not bringing shame to the family name" was brought up. It may very well have been this ideal that led the nisei to "go for broke" and achieve more than anyone likely thought they ever would. But also, perhaps it is some kind of "shame," perhaps it is the trauma, that keeps many veterans from speaking -- both of which are understandable, and I know that I would never be able to truly comprehend what they went through that keeps them silent. We are fortunate that so many already are willing to open up and share the experiences that led to the creation of "Journey of Heroes." I hope more veterans of the proud 100th/442nd can overcome those sentiments and share their stories for the next generation and many more beyond.

The only "gripe" I have is that this graphic novel is such a small, thin volume that it could easily be passed over on the bookshelf -- it doesn't even have its name on the very narrow spine. It would be a shame if this very worthy book were lost due to mere slimness of size. I wish Hayashi much luck in raising the support and getting the help she needs to get more books out to students. Her original goal was to split the first print run of 10,000 copies in half, with 5,000 being distributed to students and libraries and another 5,000 being sold to recoup production costs. While that strategy's been a success -- so much so that a second printing's become a possibility -- production logistics are a bit of a concern, as this comment on the book's Facebook page would indicate.

From the once-happy-go-lucky times of prewar Hawaii, to the internment of Japanese-Americans, through the difficulties of finally becoming a true unit, to the Vosges rescue, to the liberation of a Jewish death camp, to the homecoming back in the islands after the war, and beyond -- this graphic novel truly takes us on the "Journey of Heroes."

If you want to learn more about "Journey of Heroes" and are a Star-Advertiser subscriber, please check out Gary Chun's profile from the March 17 issue.

The Cel Shaded Report, 4/11: Oni-Con Hawaii's first date

Jason S. Yadao — Thu, 11 Apr 2013 12:07:00 +0000

My Wednesday night/early Thursday morning in a nutshell:

Went to see From Up on Poppy Hill at the Kahala 8 complex. I give it three thumbs up because newspapers play a fairly big role in the movie, and YAY NEWSPAPERS. Also, it's a great 1960s-era Japan period piece, Goro Miyazaki actually has a good story to wrap around the lingering shots of pretty scenery this time, and I really want to see it with its original Japanese soundtrack now. But YAY NEWSPAPERS.
Ate dinner afterward at a fairly large national chain restaurant with a large hot pepper as its logo. Checked email. Nearly choked on bite of yummy Chocolate Chip Paradise Pie upon learning that fairly major news had broken while I was watching Umi and Shun running around trying to save their school's run-down clubhouse.
Dashed home, fired up computer, ripped out original Cel Shaded Report topic for this week and began working on this post.

What made me stay up into the wee hours of the morning: Oni-Con Hawaii, the new anime/manga/Japanese pop culture convention in town, finally revealed the dates and location for its first show. And for those of you who have developed your own sets of survival tips during Kawaii Kon weekend, get ready to put those into practice once again: Oni-Con's heading to the Hawai'i Convention Center Nov. 1-3.

The announcement ends a wait of about 1-1/2 months for that information ever since the convention first announced its existence in mid-February. Some -- your friendly neighborhood anime/manga blogger admittedly included -- might even say that the teaser period lasted too long and started drifting into "well, are you guys really going to be able to pull something together this year?" territory. Having an announcement posted on the Facebook page about those details "coming shortly" on Feb. 27, then again promising those details "within the next week" on March 27 and then not saying anything until two weeks later, has a way of raising suspicions a bit. But the past is the past, and hopefully things will be a bit smoother going forward.

A few other notes on what I know about Oni-Con, some repeats from before, other bits new:

Currently confirmed as appearing at the inaugural show are Atelier Pierrot designer Yuko Ashizawa, Yu x Me Maid Cafe & Host Club (which announced this week that it would be hosting an Amnesia/Alice in Wonderland-themed event) and the Cosplay Chess Brigade.
Three-day passes are currently available at oniconhawaii.com/registration.html at the introductory rate of $35. No telling at this point how long that's going to last, so you may want to get on that right away. Unfortunately for those of you who preregistered for HEXXP, you're going to have to preregister and pay again, then pursue a refund of your HEXXP payment through other venues, as this post details.
Volunteers interested in ... umm ... volunteering can email info@oniconhawaii.com. Also still in a holding pattern is the cost for, and number of, Artist Alley tables that will be available.

More news undoubtedly to come in the next few weeks. As a friend of mine is fond of saying, things are about to get pretty interesting.

'Poppy Hill' extended a week

More now on Poppy Hill, the newest Studio Ghibli film localized for the U.S.: The latest weekly movie time update from Fandango has arrived. For those of you who for whatever reason couldn't make it to the first week's worth of screenings at the Kahala 8 complex, you're in luck: It'll be showing for another week, at least. There are a few minor adjustments in screening times, but the number of screenings between Friday and next Thursday remains the same, at 33. Tickets are available online via Fandango. Here are those times:

Friday and Saturday: 10:40 a.m. and 12:50, 3, 5:10, 7:20 and 9:40 p.m.
Sunday: 10:40 a.m. and 12:50, 3, 5:10 and 7:20 p.m.
Monday through Thursday: 12:45, 3, 5:10 and 7:20 p.m.

Ota-cool incoming!

"Journey of Heroes" graphic novel: If you have yet to pick up this this manga-style book chronicling the achievements of the 442nd Regimental Combat Team/100th Infantry Battalion in World War II -- and you really should get it; author Stacey Hayashi and artist Damon Wong did a great job with it -- it's available for sale at the Bishop Museum gift shop. It's a tie-in with the exhibit "American Heroes: Japanese American WWII Nisei Soldiers and the Congressional Gold Medal."

Over at the Japanese Cultural Center of Hawaii gift shop (2454 S. Beretania St.), you can also get the book ($10 general, $9 JCCH members), some spiffy exclusive "Chibi Wear" aloha shirts for men and women ($75, $67.50 JCCH members) or, for you DIYers, pre-cut yards (36 inches by 44 inches) of any of the three available fabric styles ($20 per yard, $18 JCCH members). Bishop Museum exhibit on display through April 17.

Manga character design workshop: Learn the basics of human anatomy and character design (and how to break those rules to develop your own style) from Tara Tamayori, the artist whose two-chapter story "Eternal Blade" is featured in the Hachi Maru Hachi anthology. Workshops will be held at the Honolulu Museum of Art School (1111 Victoria St., room 200) Cost: $15, payable to the instructor at the beginning of each session. Designed for ages 12 and up. Email peninkinfo@gmail.com or call the art school at 532-8741 if you're still interested. 1 to 4 p.m. Sunday.

MangaBento: This group of anime- and manga-inspired artists usually meets every second and fourth Sunday of the month at the Honolulu Museum of Art School (1111 Victoria St.). "But wait," you say. "Isn't Tara's workshop on the same day? Doesn't MangaBento usually meet in Room 200? Where are they going to go?!?" Simple ... they'll be in Room 101. Art for everyone, yay! Visit www.manga-bento.com. Next meeting: 1 to 4 p.m. Sunday.

Monster Drawing Workshop: With April being the month to learn how to design your own manga characters (courtesy of Tara) and how to add manga faces to them (courtesy of MangaBento), perhaps you'd like to learn how to create your own monsters to harass your manga creations (or befriend them, because hey, it's your story)? Comic Jam Hawaii has you covered in this free workshop at Aiea Library. Paper, pencils and crayons will be provided, or bring your own art supplies if you wish. Recommended for ages 8 and older. 1 to 3:30 p.m. April 27.

Other future attractions

Free Comic Book Day: The name pretty much says it all. Of course, there will probably be other things going on as well. May 4.

Maui Matsuri Festival: Annual Japanese festival held on the University of Hawaii-Maui College campus. May 11.

Tomo-E-Ame: Friends-Drawings-Candy: MangaBento's annual exhibit at the Honolulu Museum of Art School. June 16-July 14.

Taku Taku Matsuri: A summer festival with an anime/manga slant at Hawaii Kotohira Jinsha-Hawaii Dazaifu Tenmangu. Aug. 25.

Kawaii Kon 2014: Guests include voice actors Michael Sinterniklaas and Stephanie Sheh. Hawai'i Convention Center, April 4-6, 2014.

The Cel Shaded Report, 4/6: A bottle of Comic Jam

Jason S. Yadao — Sat, 06 Apr 2013 20:15:24 +0000

Comic Jam Hawaii has been a regular part of this blog for a good portion of a year now, and for good reason: It's been fun to see what local artists can do when they get together twice a month -- at least -- to socialize and draw, draw, draw.

The group is now in its third year of existence, and they've produced a lot of artwork in that time. I have a Nakamaboko exhibit image gallery and a quarter-inch stack of original drawings, scooped up from their year-end drawing blowout extravaganza, to prove it. And now, as another way of showcasing the group's work from last year, a new book has been published. It's a 9.6 MB, 64-page collection of assorted photos and sketches organized by month, and it's a pretty good cross-section sampling of what the group is all about. As Comic Jam Hawaii coordinator Michael Cannon writes in the introduction:

The work in this book is a random, very random, sampling of Jam pieces and photos from 2012. No criterion was established to determine what would be included. It's just basically me going through the scans from the last year and slapping things in here from that. I am completely to blame for what is included or not. I wish I could include everything we did, but I can't bind a 5" thick book.

Here's a sample page, downsized a bit to fit this blog's format (the original pages measure around 8 inches by 10 inches):

A limited number of physical copies will be available at the Comic Jam on Sunday from 1 to 4 p.m. at Pearlridge Center. If you can't make it because you have to head in to the office to put in eight hours of work helping to copy-edit a major metropolitan daily newspaper (raises hand) or for whatever other reason you may have, the book is also available for free download online; just point your browser at artildawn.com/dl/2012_CJH_book.pdf . For more information on the group, visit www.facebook.com/groups/ComicJamHawaii (Facebook login required).

Ota-cool incoming!

Plus you get to see this little beauty in person, all shiny and sparkly and ooh.

Manga character design workshop: Learn the basics of human anatomy and character design (and how to break those rules to develop your own style) from Tara Tamayori, the artist whose two-chapter story "Eternal Blade" is featured in the Hachi Maru Hachi anthology. Workshops will be held at the Honolulu Museum of Art School (1111 Victoria St., room 200) Cost: $15 per session, payable to the instructor at the beginning of each session. Designed for ages 12 and up. Email peninkinfo@gmail.com or call the art school at 532-8741 if you're still interested. Sunday and April 14, 1 to 4 p.m.

Aiea Library Anime Club: Because attendees asked for it, librarian Diane Masaki is screening even more episodes of Black Butler this month at the library, 99-143 Moanalua Road. In other news, I'm formally launching my "Hey! Diane! Show Summer Wars! It's a really, really good movie! Really! And you have to see it!" campaign. Who's in? For more information or to RSVP, call 483-7333 or e-mail aiealibraryanimeclub@yahoo.com. 3 p.m. April 13.

MangaBento: This group of anime- and manga-inspired artists usually meets every second and fourth Sunday of the month at the Honolulu Museum of Art School (1111 Victoria St.). "But wait," you say. "Isn't Tara's workshop on the 14th? Doesn't MangaBento usually meet in Room 200? Where are they going to go?!?" Simple ... they'll be in Room 101. Art for everyone, yay! Visit www.manga-bento.com. Next meeting: 1 to 4 p.m. April 14.

"How to Draw Manga Faces": If you can't figure out what participants are going to be learning at this workshop at Treehouse (250 Ward Ave., suite 233) presented by MangaBento, you're really reading the wrong blog. Recommended for ages 8 and older; cost is $10, art materials included. Feel free to bring your own, too, if you prefer. And yes, this is the same workshop that was supposed to be held March 9 but canceled due to lack of interest; here's hoping for more interest this time around. Details and a link to register are at treehouse-shop.com/how-to-draw-manga-faces-workshop. 2 to 3 p.m. April 20.

Other future attractions

Free Comic Book Day: The name pretty much says it all. Of course, there will probably be other things going on as well. May 4.

Maui Matsuri Festival: Annual Japanese festival held on the University of Hawaii-Maui College campus. May 11.

Tomo-E-Ame: Friends-Drawings-Candy: MangaBento's annual exhibit at the Honolulu Museum of Art School. June 16-July 14.

Taku Taku Matsuri: A summer festival with an anime/manga slant at Hawaii Kotohira Jinsha-Hawaii Dazaifu Tenmangu. Aug. 25.

Kawaii Kon 2014: Guests include voice actors Michael Sinterniklaas and Stephanie Sheh. Hawai'i Convention Center, April 4-6, 2014.